Unlike Novell and Linuxtag, Lindows - the consumer Linux maker - says it is neither for nor against SCO's legal battle against IBM and Linux. Lindows.com on Thursday sought to distance itself from the legal tumult that SCO Group has set in motion over the Linux operating system. The company, which makes a consumer-friendly version of Linux, said that it had "fielded some questions" about the implications for the LindowsOS in light of SCO's recent actions and that there were no issues between SCO and Lindows.

SCO has filed a $1bn lawsuit alleging that IBM misappropriated its Unix trade secrets and separately has made a broader claim that its Unix code was illegally copied directly into Linux. SCO also has sent warning letters to about 1,500 of the world's largest corporations, saying that they could be held liable for using Linux.

Earlier this month, SCO withdrew its own Linux product, saying that it generated little business toward its bottom line. Lindows said that in 2001, SCO had agreed to provide technology to Lindows and that the contract remains in effect. "We're in a unique situation because of our pre-existing relationship with SCO," Michael Robertson, Lindows' chief executive, said in a statement. "Businesses, educational institutions and home users of LindowsOS can be confident they will not be dragged into a legal battle."